Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
S&P Report Examines Calif. Earthquake Insurance
Dec 2 2007 // The Golden State got a jolt on Oct. 30 with a 5.6 magnitude earthquake just outside of San Jose. An article published by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, “Is California’s Earthquake Insurance...
Safeco Estimates Calif. Wildfire Losses at $35 Million
Dec 2 2007 // Frank Santoya, a member of the California Fire Office of the State Fire Marshall, walks through the rubble as he surveys the fire damage in the Rancho Barnardo neighborhood of San Diego on Oct. 30, 2007 (AP Photo/Rick...
Senate Approves Terrorism Insurance Backstop Extension
Dec 2 2007 // The Senate passed the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (TRIPRA) of 2007, its version of legislation that will extend the federal terrorism insurance backstop. The current federal terrorism reinsurance...
Survey: 22,700-Plus Wildfire Insurance Claims Filed in Calif.
Nov 29 2007 // The Insurance Information Network of California has confirmed that at least 22,700 claims filed from October’s Southern California fire and wind storms. The tally includes at least 2,000 insurance claims for damage...
Miss.: Gautier Elementary set to reopen 2 years after Hurricane Katrina
Nov 27 2007 // Monday marked the first day of classes at Gautier, Miss., Elementary School since Hurricane Katrina flooded and damaged the building in 2005. The city’s oldest school, built in 1940, was repaired with money from...
Lexington Ups Capacity on Bio-Chemical Terrorism Coverage
Nov 27 2007 // Lexington Insurance Company, a member company of American International Group, Inc. (AIG), has increased capacity of its BioChem Shield product from $10 million to $25 million. BioChem Shield is Lexington’s coverage...
Numbers of Mo. Homeowners Buying Earthquake Insurance Drops
Nov 26 2007 // The cost of earthquake insurance has gone up in Missouri, and the number of people buying it has gone down. Figures from the state Department of Insurance show that earthquake coverage was carried on fewer than 38 percent...
Wind-Driven Wildfire Strikes Malibu Again, 49 Homes Destroyed
Nov 26 2007 // Glen Sunyich has seen flames ravage the canyons and mountains above Malibu, Calif., three times and has been thankful his home was spared. The fourth time, he wasn’t so lucky. Sunyich’s home was among 49, along...
Virtual Conference: Economic Impact from Absence of Hurricanes in Fla.
Nov 26 2007 // Florida has been spared landfall by a hurricane for a second consecutive year, but residents should not be lulled into a sense of false security, cautions Sam Miller of the Florida Insurance Council. The 2007 hurricane...
Firefighters Warn of Continued Wildfire Threat in California
Nov 18 2007 // Rapid development in wildfire-prone areas and continued bone-dry weather have alarmed California firefighters, who began a sweeping assessment of fire danger and what’s needed to meet it. Catastrophic wildfires that...
AIR Estimates Chile Earthquake Insured Losses Not Over $80 Million
Nov 16 2007 // AIR Worldwide Corporation announced that it estimates insured losses from a major earthquake that struck the coast of Chile on Wednesday will likely not exceed $80 million. AIR noted that the “USGS has issued a...
‘Unofficial’ Tornadoes Cause Damage in Tennessee and Kentucky
Nov 16 2007 // An apparent tornado touched down Wednesday night west of Chattanooga, Tenn., damaging buildings and causing minor injuries to at least nine people, including three children. Tornadoes must be confirmed by the National...
Rate Increase OK’d for Texas Windstorm Insurance Association
Nov 16 2007 // Texas Windstorm Insurance Association policyholders’ rates will go up begining Feb. 1, 2008, as a result of rate increases approved by the Texas Department of Insurance yesterday. Texas Insurance Commissioner Mike...
Senate Approves Terrorism Backstop Extension
Nov 16 2007 // The Senate today passed the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (TRIPRA) of 2007, legislation that will extend the federal terrorism insurance backstop. The current federal terrorism reinsurance program...
AIR Releases Updated Version of U.S. Terrorism Model
Nov 14 2007 // AIR Worldwide Corporation has released an updated version of its U.S. Terrorism Model, which is available in Version 9.5 of its catastrophe risk management systems. AIR said the new model is the result of “two years...
S&P Report Examines Calif. Earthquake Insurance Coverage
Nov 14 2007 // As if Southern California’s recent devastating wildfires weren’t enough, the Golden State got a second jolt on Oct. 30 via a 5.6 magnitude earthquake just outside of San Jose. An article published by Standard...
Ga. Tree Farmers Worry about Drought, Bugs in Aftermath of Wildfires
Nov 13 2007 // The wildfires that burned almost a half-million acres in south Georgia were snuffed out months ago, but tree farmers now face prolonged drought and insect infestations as they prepare to replant the vast...
Safeco Estimates Calif. Wildfire Losses at $35 Million
Nov 12 2007 // Seattle-based Safeco is estimating that claims stemming from the recent California wildfires will amountto $35 million in pretax catastrophe losses. That figure represents the estimated losses both from claims received...
Group Urges Buyout Plan for Hurricane-Damaged Homes in New Orleans
Nov 12 2007 // Louisiana’s Road Home program could end up buying about 7,000 hurricane-damaged properties in New Orleans, creating what one faith-based group sees as a golden opportunity for new homeownership in a city that had a...
Kan. Legislative Proposal to Help Areas Hit by Flooding and Tornado
Nov 12 2007 // Two Kansas legislative leaders outlined a $17.5 million relief package Saturday, (Nov. 10) to help flood-stricken southeast Kansas and tornado-ravaged Greensburg, with money to encourage home building and tax breaks for...
